1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reinforcing frame construction for a tractor having ROPS (Roll Over Protect System) for attaching a front loader to an intermediate portion of a tractor body and a rear implement such as a backhoe to a rear portion of the tractor body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some utility vehicles such as a tractor, in order to increase the rigidity and strength of the vehicle body and also to allow detachable attachment of implements to the front and rear portions of the vehicle body, reinforcing frame members are detachably attached to the right and left sides of the vehicle body.
In a typical conventional reinforcing frame construction of the above-noted type, as known from e.g. the Japanese Patent Application “Kokai” No.: Hei. 6-32188, a pair of right and left connecting members for connecting a rear implement are fixed to a rear axle casing projecting to the right and left from the tractor body. The upper portions of these right and left connecting members include frame receiving portions capable of receiving right and left legs of the ROPS, with the right left legs of the ROPS and the receiving portions being detachably connected to each other and also with the right and left connecting portions being connected to each other via an angular pipe.
Further, according to a reinforcing frame construction known from the Japanese Patent Application “Kokai” No.: Hei. 10-7014, the construction includes right and left side frame members extending along the length of the vehicle body on the right and left sides of thereof, a cross bar member for interconnecting at least one of front, rear and intermediate portions of the right and left side frame members, a front connecting mechanism for connecting the front portion of the construction to the front portion of the vehicle body, a rear connecting mechanism for connecting the rear portion of the construction to the rear portion of the vehicle body, a loader attaching mechanism for allowing attachment of a front loader and/or an implement attaching mechanism for allowing attachment of a rear implement. And, to the rear portion of this reinforcing frame construction, stays of the ROPS are connected.
In both of the two conventional constructions described above, the reinforcing frame construction is detachably fixed to the tractor vehicle body and the ROPS is attached to this reinforcing frame construction. Hence, it is necessary to provide the tractor vehicle body with an attaching portion for the reinforcing frame construction. Then, if it is desired to use the tractor vehicle body alone, with detachment of the reinforcing frame construction therefrom, as occurs in the case of a towing operation using a drawbar hitch, an attaching member will be separately needed for the attachment of the ROPS. In this respect, there remains room for improvement.